Method and apparatus for treating petroleum oil



Jan. l0, 1928. 1,655,596

A. D. DAVID METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEM OIL Filed Feb.14.192s Patented Jan. l), 1928.

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rrn'r "i UBREY D. DAVID, 0F CHICAGO, ILLNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIVERSALOIL PROD- UCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ISOUTHDAKOTA.

'METHOD AND APPARATUS ros TREATING PETROLEUM 011..

Application filedl February 14, 1923.` Serial No. 619,036.

V rllhis invention relates toimprovements in a methodmand apparatus fortreating petroleum oil, and refers more particularly to an apparatusused in connection With the pressure distillation of petroleum oils forproducing relatively light oils such as gasoline. Among the objectsv ofthe invention are to provide a method and apparatus which provides asafer means for isolating the expan- '10 sion chambers, in order thatthey may be cleaned While the rest of the apparatus 1s kept inoperation. 1

The single figure is a diagrammatic side elevational view of theapparatus.-

l5 vReferring to the drawings: 1 is a furnace in which is mounted aheating coil 2. Oil

is supplied to the heatingcoil from any convenient source throughaJcharging line 3 controlled by a valve 4. The heating coil is connectedby transfer line- 5 and header 6 to vaporizing chambers 7 and 8. Thesechambers'communicate through vapor lines 9 and 10 to a common line 11,which leads to a. dephlegmator 12. The dephlegmator in turn is connectedby pipe 13 to condenser 14 mounted in condenser box 15. The dischargeend of the condenser poil 14 is connected by a pipe 16 to a receivingtank 17 .which is equippedwith a pressure release l pipe. 18,' pressuregaugeY 19, liquid l level gauge 20, and liquiddraW-ofl valve 21.

n The oil to be treated is introduced, as explained, and raised to aconversion temperature in the heating coil, after which it is directedthrough the transfer pipe 5, and into either of the expansion chambers 7or 8 by manipulation of valves 22, 23, 24 and 25. i If it is desired tointroduce the heated oil into the expansion chamber 7, the valves l4:022 and 23 are opened and the valves 24 and 25 are closed. Under theseconditions the heated oil will collect in the chamber 7, where theevolved vapors will rise through the vapor line 9, and pass to thedephlegmator through thel line 11. -The unvaporized liquid oilconstituents may be drawn off intermittently or continuously from thechamber 7l -through the draw-0E lines 26, controlled by valves 27.

When the carbon accumulation has become objectionable inthe chamber 7this chamber may be cut out of the system by closing the valves 22 and23 in the header 6 and valve 28 in the vapor line 9. This chamber is atthen isolated from the system, and after re-y moving the upper and lowermanhole plates,

it may be'cleaned of the accumulated residual carbonaceous material.

Prior to cutting out the chamber 7, the chamber 8 is cut into the systemby opening the'valve 24 and 25 inthe header 6 and the valve 29 in thevapor line 10. While the chamber 7 is cut out of the system, the chamber3` Will be utilized as an expansion or vaporizing zone.

' The chamber 8 isl equipped with liquid draw-oit' lines 26 controlledby valves 27 similar to the residual draw-olf lines in the chamber 7.The vapors during operation areipassed from the chamber that is beingused through the vapor lines to the de phlegmating stage, and afterbeing refluxed are finally condensed and collected as liquid ,residue inthe receiving tank 17.

During the period of time that either chamber is cut out of the system,it is desirable to prevent any casualty to operators cleaning the tanks,due to the failure of one' of the valves in the header 6. For thisreason a cool liquid medium such as cool oil v1s pumped from anyconvenient source such as a tank, 30, and is charged by means of thepump 31 through a line 32, which is connected to separate lines 33 and34 communieating with portions of the header 6 interposed between thevalves 24 and 25 and the valves 22 and 23, respectively the oil beingreturned to the tank 30 through the lines 37 and 40. In the event thatthe chamber 8 is cut out of the system, the cool oil will be circulatedthrough the pipe 32 and 33 into the portion of the header 6 between thevalves 24 and 25. At thistime it is essential that the valve 35 in theline 34 be closed and the valve 36 in the line 33 be open. This Willmaintain a head of oil in the portion of the header 6 between the twovalves 24 and 25 so that should the valves fail, the hot oil coming fromthe heating tubes will be immediately tempered prior to its introductionto the chamber y8l by cold oil introduced from the tank 30. Also acounter pressure substantially /equal to the pressure on the hot oil maybe maintained upon the cooling medium to counteract the pressure on thehot oil, so that the failure of the valve is ractically animpossibility.

he coolingmedium charged through the `line l36 is Withdrawn from theheader through the line 37 controlled by a valve 38,

thus the cooling medium is 'circulated to the header and from the headerback to the tank in a continuous circuit. During its circulation, inaddition to the valve being closed, it is also necessary that the valve39 in the discharge line 4c() be also closed.

When the tank 8 is cut back into the system and the tank 7 is out outfor cleaning,

the circulation of the cooling medium will be header communicating with`the chamber 8.

By circulating cool oil in this manner at sufficient pressure, thecleaning of the chambers during operation of the remaining part of thetively sa Iclaim:

l. ln an apparatus for treating oil, lthe combination with means lforheating the oil of alternate vaporizing means, separate transfer andvapor lines connected thereto, means interposed in the transfer andvapor lines for isolating either of the vaporizing means from' thesystermmeans for introducing a cooling medium into either of thetransfer lines communicating with anisolated vaporizing meansI duringthe periodl it is cut out of the system.

2. In an yapparatus combination with means for heating the oil ofalternate `vaporizing means, transfer lines communicating betweenx theheating y' and vaporizing means, vapor lines connected to the vaporizingmeans, I-means interposed in the transfer and vapor lines for isolatingeither of the vaporizing means from the system, means for introducinginto and circulating a coolingmedium through a localized vportion of thetransfer line communicating with the isolated vaporizing means duringthe period it is out out of the system.

3. In an apparatus for treating oil, .the combination with means forheating the oil, of alternate vaporizing means, transfer and vapor linesconnected to theV vaporizing apparatus may be made comparaf for treatingoil, thel means, means interposed in the transfer and Vvapor lines forisolating either of the vaporizing means, means for introducing into andcirculating a cooling medium at a -pressure substantially that of theoil in lthe system through a portion of the transfer line communicatingwith the, vaporizing means cut out of the system. y ,t

for treating oil, the

ed from the remaining portion of the apparatus to prevent leakage of hotoil from the remaining portion of the apparatus into the isolatedreaction zone.

5. The method of isolating either one of alternate reaction zones of anoil cracking apparatus, which consists in discontinuing the supply ofoil to the zone to be isolated, in simultaneously admitting oil to theother of the alternate reaction zones, in thereafter balancing thepressure between the `reaction zones and preventing the leakage of hotoilk into the zone to which the supply of oil. has

been discontinued by introducing' a pressure.

balancing medium into a portion of the apparatusintermediate saidalternate zones. 6. The method of isolating either one of alternatereaction zones of an oil cracking apparatus, which consists indiscontinuing the supply of oil to the zone to b`e isolated, insimultaneously admitting oil to the other of the alternate reactionZones, in thereafter balancing the pressure between the reaction zonesand preventing the leakage of hot oil into the zone to which thesupplyof oil has miF been discontinued by circulating a cooling medium, Vundera pressure substantially equal to` the pressure maintained in thereaction zone to which oil is beingsupplied, through aportion of theapparatus intermediate said alternate reaction zones.

AUBREY D. DAvin.

